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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Here is an update on my work as your State Representative.
On May 16th, the Oregon Office of Economic
Analysis released its May
2017 Economic & Revenue Outlook.
Due to economic growth and low unemployment, the report also showed that
the State has more money now than it ever has before. In order for the State to adopt the Budget
Framework released earlier this year by the Co-Chairs of the Joint
Committee on Ways and Means, however, the report showed that we would need
to raise an additional $1.4 billion in new revenue. While some believe that we need to raise
taxes on our businesses like what was proposed by Measure 97 during the recent
general election, the Legislative
Revenue Office has said that such a tax would hurt lower-income Oregonians
the most. I certainly do not believe
that we should balance Oregon’s budget on the backs of its most vulnerable
citizens. Rather, I believe that our
state government needs to do a better job of spending the money that it has responsibly.
The Joint Committee on Transportation Preservation and
Modernization has continued to unveil and debate portions of the
transportation package framework it released earlier this month. You can read more about the concepts that are
being discussed here.
In its current form, the proposal would pay to widen several traffic congestion
bottlenecks in the Portland Metropolitan Area by creating a tax on new vehicles
as well as by potentially implementing tolling and congestion-pricing
mechanisms. It would also fund a number of preservation, maintenance, and
seismic upgrade projects through increases in the gas tax as well as title,
registration, and licensing fees. Lastly, the proposal would support more
bike lanes and public transit through both a tax on new bicycles and a payroll
tax, respectively. While the specific size of these tax and fee increases
are still being discussed, the proposal would raise approximately $5 billion
dollars over the next ten years. I have
received feedback from a number of my constituents on this issue, and while
passing a Transportation Package this session will require making hard choices financially,
I believe they will be necessary to sustain and build our economy in the long
run, as well as to accommodate our region’s rapidly growing population.
 Last month, the Chair of the House
Committee on Transportation Policy appointed Representative Susan McLain
and me to Co-Chair a legislative workgroup on Autonomous Vehicles. While other states, such as Texas, Tennessee,
and Colorado, have already begun passing laws to regulate the deployment of
autonomous vehicles on their roadways, Oregon has yet to make any substantial
progress on that front. The purpose of
this workgroup is to analyze and evaluate other states’ laws governing the use
of autonomous vehicles, and to bring stakeholders from a variety of different
fields including tech, design, manufacturing, labor, and government to the
table to share their thoughts and concerns as this technology becomes more
prevalent in our lives and as the Oregon State Legislature considers passing regulatory
laws that are right for our communities and our state. On May 10th, the House Committee
on Transportation Policy held an informational hearing on the issue of
autonomous vehicles. In addition, Representative
McLain and I have organized several stakeholder meetings since then.
During the past few weeks, I have also become a member of the
legislative workgroup on Drones. As with
autonomous vehicles, drone technology is beginning to play a much larger role
in our lives. The purpose of this
workgroup is also to facilitate discussion with stakeholders that will help the
legislature to pass effective laws that will keep Oregonians safe and protect
their privacy.
On May 12th, I attended my first meeting of the Oregon
Innovation Council since I was appointed by the Speaker of the House in
March. Oregon InC is a public-private
partnership that was created in 2005 to encourage the development of industry
clusters in areas where new technologies hold unique, national advantages. One example of an industry cluster that has
already taken shape in Oregon is drone technology, which we spent a significant
portion of our three-hour meeting discussing.
Both my Autonomous Vehicle and Drone legislative workgroups have
connections to and overlap with what Oregon InC is trying to accomplish, and I
am committed to ensuring that our State’s laws are capable of handling both imminent
and unforeseen challenges as Oregon becomes home to the industries of tomorrow.
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 May 16th was Technical and Regional University (TRU) Day at
the Capitol. Dozens of students from Western Oregon University, Southern Oregon University, Eastern Oregon University, and the Oregon Institute of Technology came to Salem to
lobby their legislators. Throughout the
day, I met with Oregon Tech's President, Dr. Nagi Naganathan, and about 30
Oregon Tech students, to discuss the school’s legislative priorities this
session. Oregon Tech’s campuses in Wilsonville
and Klamath Falls are doing great things both for their students and the State.
In fact, a recent study conducted by Smart Asset lists Oregon Tech as having the
highest post-graduate salaries of any college or university in Oregon. You can read more about that study here.
I appreciate all those who attended for
being engaged in the legislative process and for sharing their knowledge and
passion. Go Owls!
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 May 18th was the Hillsboro Awards Gala. This annual event provides the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce
with an opportunity to recognize individuals, businesses, and organizations who
have contributed to the economy or given back to their communities in the
greater Hillsboro area, like former Mayor Jerry Willey and current Mayor Steve
Callaway. Local high school students
performed for attendees and the Hillsboro Chamber presented awards to influential
members of the community. I would like
to extend a special thanks to the Hillsboro Chamber for organizing such a great
event, embodying the spirit of Hillsboro—Where the Stars Shine.
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 On March 28th, during the daily Floor Session of the House
of Representatives, I was the only Republican to vote “Aye” on HB 2005
A-Engrossed, now known as the Oregon Equal Pay Act. At that time, the bill was not perfect and I
argued in favor of substituting its language with what was contained in the
Minority Report. You can watch a video
of my floor speech here. Although that effort failed, I felt that it
was more important for the Legislature to take a public stance against pay
discrimination with respect to gender, race, and other classifications, than it
was for me to vote “No” because the bill was not exactly what I wanted it to be. You can watch a video of my vote explanation here. Needless to say, that was a very lonely and
difficult day for me.
On May 22nd, the bill came back to the Floor of the House—in
the form of HB 2005 B-Engrossed—so we could approve several changes that the
Senate made to the language of the bill.
Many of these changes were ones I had initially advocated for on March
28th, and I was gratified to see them receive unanimous approval in
the House as each of my Republican colleagues came to agree on the importance
of this concept.
In many respects, this is the best job I have ever had. Not a day goes by that I am not learning
something and, as a naturally curious person, I find that is the true definition
of fun. I am extremely grateful for the
opportunity to serve, and I am appreciative that my family and my life circumstances
have allowed me to do so. As always, I
welcome your input, value your perspective, and urge you to share your views by
contacting my office. It is a privilege to
serve as your State Representative.
Sincerely,
Rich
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Capitol Phone: 503-986-1426
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-484, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.RichVial@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/vial
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